Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, is rapidly approaching. In truth, last year, which started out with so much promise, soon became so average. But this year is going to be different. This year you can change the world!
There is only one small problem, how do you change the world?
A great sage. the Chaffetz Chaim, (Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan, 1838-1933) grappled with the same issue. “Initially, I tried to change the entire world, but it was too difficult to change the entire world, and I wasn’t successful. I decided to focus on my country. but that was too difficult as well, and I wasn’t successful. I decided to focus on my village, unfortunately, I wasn’t successful in changing my village. I wasn’t discouraged, I decided to help my family change. Unfortunately, I couldn’t even get my family to change. Finally, I just decided to change myself, and that is what I did. Once I changed myself, my family changed, and then my town changed, then my country changed, and then the entire world changed”.
If you want to change the world, start by changing yourself.